Hamish McDonald said he did not expect schools would have to ban children from climbing trees or playing on playgrounds.
‘‘I would hope that, as we unpack the changes in the health and safety Act, common sense will prevail,'' he said.‘‘We should be able to look at things and take all practical measures to minimise risk but also maintain those challenges for children in our schools.''
The biggest concern for principals was mixed messages and interpretations of the Health and Safety at Work Act, which was introduced on Monday, from different sectors, Mr McDonald said.
School principals needed to readdress health and safety policies and procedures.
‘‘They need to consider whether they meet the guidelines of the new legislation and possibly fine-tune them,'' Mr McDonald said.
‘‘In the past, schools have worked really hard to put structures and stringent health and safety procedures in place, regardless of the legislation.
‘‘We really want to know that the children are in a safe environment, so within our schools there are existing policies and procedures in place.''
Bayfield High School principal Judith Forbes said the school was using the change in legislation as a catalyst to review what it does.
‘‘Initially, we thought there was a big change, but the more we've looked at it, it just seems to be a bit of a tightening and a spreading of responsibility for everyone to report any hazards that they see,'' Mrs Forbes said.
‘‘That's good practice, anyway.''
There were additional costs for the school, because for every 19 staff there needed to be a health and safety representative, she said.
‘‘They now have to be trained in a process that is costing quite a lot of money. That is a new requirement.
‘‘It certainly is not going to change our willingness to take students on education-outside-the-classroom experiences.
‘‘I recognise that I'm potentially liable if things go wrong, but I'm also morally obliged to provide our students with a rich and authentic education experience.
‘‘It's essential that we run a school that provides that.''
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse said school principals had nothing to fear about the legislation. The aim was to strike a balance between ensuring workplaces were safe without imposing unnecessary red tape on businesses.
‘‘There's no question that they need to manage risk. What I'm saying is they don't need to panic,'' Mr Woodhouse said.‘‘The new law makes it clear that everyone has a role to play in health and safety.
‘‘It modernises our approach to health and safety and recognises the complexity of 21st century workplaces by encouraging more communication and co-operation, both within and between businesses.''
Health and Safety at Work Act key features
- Requiring businesses to identify work-related risks and do what is ‘‘reasonably practicable'' to eliminate or manage them.
- Ensuring everyone, from company directors to casual labourers, has health and safety responsibilities that reflect their ability to influence or control work.
- A new requirement for all businesses to have effective worker engagement and participation processes for health and safety matters.
- A new duty on company officers to exercise due diligence when it comes to health and safety.
